Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-05-12
En- Express Robbery.
What Prevented ID From Being IA Com
pIctc Success.

messengers were entrusted with sums of
money when they have not been conspired
against by bad men. The number of those
who have been killed or wounded I'm the
line of duty would make startling record,
Now and then one has gone wrong and has
landed himself In State prison, but for every
such ease hundreds have proved their ster-
ling integrity against all temptations.
About twenty years ago | had run as
express messenger west from Chicago for
several hundred miles. The amount of
money passing 10 aud fro was very large,
and there Were occasions when the run east
almost made millionaire of me for the
time being. While the orders 10 express
messengers were not So stringent then the
fear of robbery was just as great, and we
and cautioned TO never relax our vigilance.
The ears which | occupied were properly
the baggage ears, had about "A third of the
space divided off by a pine partition. There
was door in this partition which ] was
supposed To keen locked nj all times, but
when we got out on the road, and my work
was all in hand this door used 10 nearly al-
ways stand open. The baggagcman was al
lowed 10 come into the little room, and | in
turn would enter his part, and sit ON the
trunks and chat with him. The idea that
the railroad hands would ever have dosigns
on tho express money never entered any
body's head. More than once | left the
haggageman In charge of from $4,000 10
$3.50, 900 while went TO n meal In tho rail,
road restaurant.
For over year, on the run east, | had n
haggagcn:an with whom | could chum in
all things, and should have had no fear Ia
hand him the keys of the safe. He met
with an accident, and then one man and
another had his place until four came and
went in side of six months. The fifth man
liked least Of ALL Perhaps this was be-
cause he seemed 10 mako a dead set 10 Sc
cure my good will and confidence He Was
full of tlattery, overwilling 10 offer his as
sistance and spend his money hut this
conduct had an opposite effect on me from
what he intended While could not suspect
that ho had wicked motive in his actions,
took a dislike 10 him and had "a force my
self 10 treat him with civility. He was all
ight with the conductor and hrakemen,
however, and heard the engineer and fire
man agree that he was a capital good fel-
low
II was, of course, against tho rules nf tho
road 10 pass dcadheadS in the baggage-car,
but after this man, who went by the name
of Peter McCabc. had been ont for three
or four weeks there was hardly run that
lac did hc did not have some dcadhcad with
him. The conductor must have been on to
llim, but he made no objections. These
deadhcads were not unfortunates, but inyar-
iably well-drcssed, and seeming 10 have
plenty of funds. They looked 10 me like
tough characters, and my respect for the
honesty and morality of the bagGageman
was not a Whit increased. lie never intro
duced any of them to me, hut | afterwards
remembered how closely they sized me up
and inspected my end of the car. McCabc
had been ON the run about four months,
when, one evening at seven o'clock rs we
pulled out of the depot for the run east, two
men got into the haggage-car with him.
They were cautious about il, getting on in
the yards after the train was clear Of the
building. When | came 10 see them by the
light in the ear | discovered that both of
them had been over the road with him be-
Int -, nval ~ ipfsr-
walls. There was nothing in their appear
ance or conduct to arouse suspicion, how
ever, and they gave me not the least attcn-
ton. had my way-bills to check up and
parcels to put away, and this kept me busy
for the first half hour.
All the money going rs far as Chicago
was placed at the bottom of the safe. That
To be handed out en route was at tho top
on this occasion only three packages were
10 bc delivered before reaching Chicago, and
rs they contained less than 500 each i laid
them on the shelf, locked the safe and put
the key in my pocket. We had made three
stops and had come 10 run of eight miles
without station, when l looked mp and
noticed the three men with their heads to-
gethor. 1t was suspicious thing only
when came To look back upon ii. OF the
stretch there were five miles of
springy track where the speed of the train
hid to be reduced TO about fifteen miles
m hour, and we had only entered upon this
when McCabe called TO me
"Say, George, come and look over this
trunk. There is such IN Internal smell that
we've come TO the conclusion there's dead
body in It,"
The door In the partition was made of
Stats or pickets, and could see out or one
could see in. ! rose up, unlocked 1t, and
went to the other end of the car, where the
three were grouped about large trunk.
".Just put your nose down here" said
McCabe, his features nj the same time wear
Ing a look of deep digust.
| bent over the trunk 10 get sniff, and
the next instant the three men seized me
and bore me to the floor, one of them hav-
ing his fingers on my throat so that / could
not utter a sound. They had lashings and
gag at hand and in three minutes | was tied
hand and foot and as helpless rs one could
be.
"Sorry TO use you this way, George, " said
the baggageman rs he fastened the gag in
my mouth, "but we must have that money,
and we didn't want to crack you on the
held. Now then, boys"
One of them opened the sliding door
while the other two went after the safe. l
don't suppose it was five minutes from the
time they seized me until they had thrown
the safe ont and followed 1t. My feet were
lashed to the handle of Il trunk, my elbows
pulled behind me and tied, and the gag
would not permit me 90 utter sound.
There was nothing to do but to let them go,
but had good look at both the st rangers,
and went to work to paint their portraits
on my memory.
My condition was discovered ut the first
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